Akashi Castle, Japanese castle in Akashi, Japan
Akashi Castle is a fortified structure in the city of Akashi in western Japan, rising on a hill above the Seto Inland Sea. The two remaining three-story towers stand connected by stone walls within what is now Akashi Park.
The fortress was raised between 1617 and 1619 under the direction of Ogasawara Tadazane as part of a defense line along the coast. Materials from nearby fortifications at Miki and Takasago were reused in its construction.
The castle's alternate names, Kiharu Castle and Kinkō Castle, were not derived from reddish soil. The Kiharu name was chosen by Matsudaira Tadaichi, a cultured lord who selected ten scenic views within the castle grounds. The site is now Hyogo Prefectural Akashi Park, and the two surviving yagura towers are opened to the public free of charge on weekends and holidays in spring and autumn.
Access to the park grounds is through a ten-minute walk from Akashi Station on the JR Sanyo Main Line. Both towers can be viewed from ground level, and the view over the bay is clearest on calm days.
The keep's stone base was laid but no tower was ever built; the Hitsujisaru Yagura, moved from Fushimi Castle, served as its substitute. The two surviving towers were designated Important Cultural Properties in 1957.
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